Connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club

ABSTRACT

A golf club includes a shaft, a grip member, and two constricting and fastening mechanisms to fasten the grip member and the shaft together; the shaft is held in the grip member at a tail portion; the grip member has locating holes, and consists of first and second half shell parts, which are secured together; each constricting and fastening mechanism includes a fastening base secured in the grip member, and fastening member facing the fastening base; the fastening base has through holes, which face the locating holes respectively; the fastening member has threaded holes, which face the through holes respectively; threaded elements are passed through the locating holes and the through holes, and joined in the threaded holes of the fastening member; thus, the shaft will be tightly sandwiched between the fastening base and the fastening member when the threaded elements are turned tight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club, more particularly one, which enables the shaft and the grip member to be firmly coupled together without the possibility of both turning relative to each other to change the flying direction of a golf ball when the golf club hits against the golf ball.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

A common golf club has a grip member secured around a tail portion of the shaft, which is easy to hold, and will absorb the shock against the golfer's hands when the golf club hits against a golf ball.

Shown in FIG. 6 is a golf club 10 taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,768, which includes a shaft 14, and a grip member 30; the grip member 30 is directly placed around the shaft 14 without any fastening means to prevent both from turning relative to each other. Therefore, it is possible for the shaft 14 to turn relative to the grip member 30 to reduce the accuracy of the flying direction of a golf ball when the golf club 10 hits against the golf ball.

Shown in FIG. 7 is a golf club taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,958, which includes a shaft 214, and a grip member 262; the grip member 262 has a metallic ring 330 buried therein; the grip member 262 and the metallic ring 330 have aligned threaded holes 328; the shaft 214 is passed through the metallic ring 330 and partly held in the grip member 262; bolts (A) are passed through the threaded holes 328, and tightly pressed against the shaft 214 to prevent the shaft 214 from turning relative to the grip member 262. However, because both and the shaft 214 and the bolt (A) are made of metallic materials, and the tail end of the bolt (A) and the shaft 214 have a smooth surface, it is still possible for the shaft 214 to turn relative to the grip member 262 when the golf club hits against a golf ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improvement on a connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club to overcome the above problems.

A golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a shaft, a grip member, and two constricting and fastening mechanisms positioned in the grip member to fasten the grip member and the shaft together. The shaft is held in the grip member at a tail portion thereof. The grip member has locating holes, and consists of first and second half shell parts, which are positioned to face each other and secured together. Each constricting and fastening mechanism includes a fastening base secured in the grip member, and fastening member facing the fastening base; the fastening base has through holes, which face the locating holes respectively; the fastening member has threaded holes, which face the through holes respectively; threaded elements are passed through the locating holes and the through holes, and joined in the threaded holes of the fastening member; thus, the shaft will be tightly sandwiched between the fastening base and the fastening member when the threaded elements are turned tight. Therefore, the shaft can't turn relative to the grip member to reduce the accuracy of the flying direction of a golf ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the first prior art, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the second prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of a golf club of the present invention includes a shaft 1, a grip member 2, and two constricting and fastening mechanisms 3.

The shaft 1 has an opening 11 on a tail portion thereof.

The grip member 2 includes a first half shell part 21, and a second half shell part 22, which are positioned so as to face each other, and securely joined together by means of joining components 23. The first and the second half shell parts 21 and 22 have lengthways-extending holding rooms 211 and 221 respectively in a middle portion thereof while the tail portion of the shaft 1 is held in the holding rooms 211 and 221.

The constricting and fastening mechanisms 3 are fitted in the grip member 2. Each of the constricting and fastening mechanisms 3 includes a fastening base 31 secured in one of the half shell parts 21 and 22 of the grip member 2, and a fastening member 32, which can be forced to change position relative to the fastening base 31; the fastening base 31 has several through holes 311 thereon while the fastening member 32 has several threaded holes 321 to face the through holes 311 of the fastening base 31 respectively; the half shell parts 21 and 22 have locating holes 212, 222 thereon, and threaded elements 24 are passed through the locating holes 212, 222 as well as the through holes 311 of the fastening base 31, and threadedly joined in the threaded holes 321 of the fastening member 32.

In assembly, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the fastening base 31 and the fastening member 32 of one of the constricting and fastening mechanisms 3 are positioned in the first and the second half shell parts 21 and 22 respectively while the fastening base 31 and the fastening member 32 of the other one of the constricting and fastening mechanisms 3 are positioned in the second and the first half shell parts 22 and 21 respectively.

Next, the shaft 1 and the half shell parts 21 and 22 are joined together with the shaft 1 being inserted between the fastening base 31 and the fastening member 32 of each said constricting and fastening mechanism 3, and with the threaded elements 24 being passed through the locating holes 212 (222) and the through holes 311, and threadedly joined in the threaded holes 321 of the fastening members 32. Therefore, the shaft 1 will be tightly sandwiched between the fastening base 31 and the fastening member 32 of each said constricting and fastening mechanism 3, and secured to the grip member 2 when the threaded elements 24 are turned tight.

Furthermore, the fastening bases 31 and the fastening members 32 of the constricting and fastening mechanisms 3 have slip-prevention raised lines 313, 322, which contact the shaft 1 to prevent the shaft 1 from moving relative to the constricting and fastening mechanisms 3.

Shown in FIG. 5 is a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; the second preferred embodiment is basically the same as the first one, yet its grip member 2 has several detaining portions 213 on an inner side, and its fastening members 31 each have embedded portions 312 on two ends thereof, which are fixedly detained in corresponding said detaining portions 213 of the grip member 2.

The grip member 2 can be separated from the shaft 1 for the user to replace the grip member 2 with a new one after the threaded elements 24 are turned loose so that the shaft 1 is no longer tightly sandwiched between the fastening base 31 and the fastening member 32 of each said constricting and fastening mechanism 3.

In addition, an ornamental cover 4 is positioned around the grip member 2 to prevent the joints between the first and the second half shell parts 21 and 22 from being seen.

From the above description, it can be seen that the present invention has the following advantages:

The shaft of the golf club of the present invention can be firmly joined to the grip member by means of turning the threaded elements tight after the shaft is inserted in the grip member so as to be between the fastening base and the fastening member of each said constricting and fastening mechanism. And, after the threaded elements are turned loose, the shaft will become separable from the grip member for allowing the user to replace the grip member with a new one. Therefore, the present invention is relatively convenient to use. 

1. Connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club, comprising a shaft; a grip member; the grip member having a holding room, in which a tail portion of the shaft is held; the grip member having a plurality of locating holes extending to the holding room thereof; at least one constricting and fastening mechanism; the constricting and fastening mechanism including: (a) a fastening base securely positioned in the grip member; the fastening base having a plurality of through holes, which face the locating holes of the grip member respectively; and (b) a fastening member facing the fastening base; the fastening member being capable of being forced to change position relative to the fastening base; the fastening member having a plurality of threaded holes, which face the through holes of the fastening base respectively; threaded elements being passed through the locating holes of the grip member and the through holes of the fastening base, and threadedly joined in the threaded holes of the fastening member so that the shaft is tightly sandwiched between the fastening base and the fastening member, and secured to the grip member.
 2. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening base and the fastening member of the constricting and fastening mechanism have a plurality of slip-prevention raised lines on an inner side to contact the shaft.
 3. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip member includes first and second half shell parts; each of the first and the second half shell parts having a lengthways-extending holding room in a middle portion.
 4. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening base of the constricting and fastening mechanism is fixed in the first half shell part of the grip member.
 5. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening base of the constricting and fastening mechanism is fixed in the second half shell part of the grip member.
 6. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 3 comprising at least two constricting and fastening mechanisms; the fastening bases of the constricting and fastening mechanisms being each secured in one of the first and the second half shell parts of the grip member.
 7. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and the second half shell parts are joined together with a plurality of joining components.
 8. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip member has a plurality of detaining portions on an inner side, and the fastening member has a plurality of embedded portions, which are fixedly detained in corresponding said detaining portions of the grip member.
 9. The connecting structure of a shaft and a grip member of a golf club as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grip member has an ornamental cover positioned around it. 